Mood DIY: Leather iPad Sleeve

Ever since the leather lesson I got as part of a birthday present, I’ve been finding new things to make and have been sharing them with you. I think of my iPad as my slideshow on the go for all my projects, so I throw it in my purse and carry it with me everywhere I go.

Learning to hand stitch leather has totally opened my eyes. I now find myself eyeing the bags of every passerby (without being too creepy :). Want to grab some leather and supplies from Mood and create some stuff of your own? Check out the process below.
SUPPLIES: leather, dye, edge kote, tragacanth, sandpaper/file, waxed thread, needles, q-tip/wool dauber, circle edge slicker, and a rotary cutter.
HOW-TO:
1. Cut out 3 rectangles of leather (I did 2 pieces that are 9.5 x 8in , and one that is 6.5 x 8in).  Take your dye, and in a well ventilated area over some old newspaper, rub in your dye.  (Note: You may want to dab your cloth on a towel to dilute the color). Let this dry for a few hours.
2. I used the saddle stitch here (easier to see explained in video, check out a good one here and here). The pricking iron and awl needed to make the stitching holes aren’t pictured, but they are in the video.  I also recommend first sewing the pocket on to the front panel….once that’s done, then stitch the whole front to the back panel.
3. Sand down all the edges.
4. Slick the edges down now a little at a time, with tragacanth.
5. Next, burnish the edges that you just put the tragacanth on, with the slicker. I actually suggest slicking a few inches at a time and then burnishing…just so you aren’t getting tragacanth everywhere.
6. After that, use a q-tip or a wool dauber and slowly rub on your edge kote, just on the edges of the leather for a finished look.
OPTIONAL STEP: I had a logo created…if you want to put letters on, go ahead now and wet the leather just a little and then use a mallet to imprint it into the leather. (Note: I hold it in place with my hand and then tap it with the mallet on each side and in the  middle, rather than using the handle). 

Brandhyze Stanley is the chief voice of the award winning blog, Frugal-nomics.com; a platform designed to share with women how to live and look fabulous on a dime. A DIY girl at heart—Brandhyze has been featured on Dr. Oz, The View, The Today Show, InStyle Magazine, Essence Magazine, and MTVStyle. A Wilhelmina Model for over a decade, with a Business Degree from Loyola University Chicago, Brandhyze provides DIY content to the popular How-To Site, eHow; and has been a contributor for the Huffington Post, Yahoo Finance, Super Money, Good Housekeeping, and Newsday Westchester, to name a few. Brandhyze is a huge thrifter and a lover of all good deals, follow her on Twitter @MyFrugalnomics and on Facebook at Facebook.com/Frugalnomics.